There are a few important dates to remember in May when it comes to aviation history but one of the ones that doesn’t get looked at as much is the first flight and first acceptance of the Douglas DC-2. The DC-2 first flew on May 11th and was accepted by Trans World Airlines May 18th 1934. The DC-2 was the precursor to the DC-3, as seen below, and while the DC-3 made a very large name for itself since it’s first flight December 17th 1935, the DC-2 had an impressive history in its own right.
The DC-2 was bigger, faster and could carry more people then the DC-1. Most importantly it was the first commercial plane to fly from coast to coast and not loose a business day. The DC-2 was the first Douglas plane to fly in an international airline when it competed in the 9,000 mile London to Melbourne race. It came in second even after picking up a stranded passenger. 198 examples were built between 1934-1939. A few examples still exist today but only a handful in the United States.